Today marks the launch of Hot Lead, Cold Iron, published by Titan Books. This is the first Mick Oberon novel, a book unlike anything I’ve written before. Urban fantasy, set in gangland Chicago in the last days of Prohibition.

“The conclusion strongly hints that there will be another Mick Oberon case and if it’s as fun and entertaining as this one, then Ari Marmell will soon be crowned the foremost purveyor of Macabre Noir.” –Starburst Magazine

“Fae magic, witchcraft, and even the hint of other supernatural creatures, combined with the 30s setting, give this book it’s considerable charm. Add a hero like Mick Oberon, and you’ve got a winner.” –My Bookish Ways

“The story’s skillful blend of fantasy and crime will also appeal to the mass audiences of popular TV shows Supernatural and Grimm.” –The Cult Den

“All in all, Ari Marmell has written an absolutely brilliant mash up novel that mixes loads of different styles yet manages to make them all mesh so well that I was actually sorry when the book ended.” –The Curiosity of a Social Misfit

“The book does a nice job of never tipping its hand, with a climax that delivers on all aspects.” –Bookgasm

“The author leaves the door wide open for the sequel, and that’s just fine: the book is thoroughly entertaining, and Mick is a likable guy we’d like to spend some more time with. Urban fantasy fans should be all over this one.” –Booklist, starred review (requires membership, so I can’t link to it)

Almost time. This coming Tuesday, Hot Lead, Cold Iron–the first in a new urban fantasy series set not in today’s world, but in gangland Chicago of the 1930s–hits shelves!

And I’m giving away three signed copies.

All you have to do is check out the book’s cover, and then–knowing only that it’s set in gangland Chicago, and what you see on the cover–make up a translation of the runes shown in the wand’s magic aura.

Be funny. Be creative. Be wacky. Or be thoughtful. Poetic. Whatever the heck you want. Think of this basically like the caption on a one-panel comic, so anything goes.

I will be choosing three winners, as follows:

1) Winner one will simply be chosen from among the translations I find most interesting/amusing. You will receive a signed copy of Hot Lead, Cold Iron.

2) Winner two will be someone whose translation I find to be among the most interesting/amusing, but who also posted a tweet/Facebook entry/blog entry/anything else of that sort linking other people to this contest. Yes, that means if you help spread the word, your odds of winning improve. When you e-mail in your contest entry, also include a link (or links, if multiple) to where you linked people back here, so I can see it. (Make sure it’s publicly visible.) This winner receives not only a signed copy of HLCI, but, as a special bonus, a signed copy of Dreams and Shadows, another fey-oriented novel from friend and fellow author C. Robert Cargill.

3) Finally, the third winner will be someone whose translation I find to be among the most interesting/amusing, but whose translation includes a reference to actual fey mythology. (Of any nation/culture.) Obviously, it needs to fit smoothly into the translation; you can’t just give me an unrelated line and then add, “Also, firbolgs.” This third winner receives the signed HLCI, and their bonus prize is a signed copy of both of Cargill’s fey-oriented books, the aforementioned Dreams and Shadows, and its sequel, Queen of the Dark Things.

E-mail your entries (and links, if applicable) to ari AT mouseferatu DOT com. Please put [Translation] in your subject line. No attachments. You may enter more than once, if you have more than one idea.

Entries must be received by 10 PM Central on Monday, May 12th. Feel free to e-mail or reply here with any questions.

Hey, folks. Welcome to “Crossing the Streams 2014,” a flippin’ huge, multi-author book giveaway! Some of you are familiar with this concept, as we’ve run this once before; for others, this’ll be the first time.

I, and roughly twenty other speculative fiction writers (give or take)–mostly novelists, but some short story and comic writers as well–have thrown in together to create something huge for you guys.

Strange New Words, my novel-length collection of short fiction, is finally available. Thirteen tales–some of which are reprints, some of which are brand new to this collection–ready and waiting for you!

If you’ve been following along, the next adventure’s waiting for you. If you haven’t met Widdershins yet, give Thief’s Covenant a whirl. (You can read them out of order, but it’s far better if you read them in sequence.)

I’m really proud of how this series has turned out so far. I hope you guys are all enjoying the ride.

Okay, folks. Less than two days left in the Strange New Words Kickstarter! Less than two days to be a part of it, claim some cool backer rewards, and help push us over the line to meet a couple of our stretch goals.

We’re not finished! There’s a week left to go, and I’m planning to work extra hard to see if we can’t make some of our stretch goals. And trust me, you want us to make those stretch goals. More art for the book, an entire additional novelette-length piece of fiction… These and more are just a short ways away.

You’ve already done so much for the project, and for me. If you can help just a tad more, by spreading the word, we can make this book even better than promised.

My deepest appreciation to all of you. I very literally wouldn’t be where I am without you.

What is it? Strange New Words is a collection of short fiction–fantasy to horror to mythology, funny to FUBAR. By word count, it’s to be roughly half reprints from various anthologies/other markets, and half all original, never-before-seen fiction.

Oh, and some of that original fiction includes a brand new story set in the world of The Goblin Corps!

Why do you need help?Because, frankly, self-publishing a book is only cheap if you half-ass it. I’m a professional, and that means I have a reputation to maintain–and, more importantly, it means an implicit promise to all of you that I will never willingly stint on the quality of my work. Professional editing, original art… None of that is optional, as far as I’m concerned.

What do I get for helping?Obviously, it depends on what level you choose to back the project, and the specifics are all over on the Kickstarter page. But some possibilities include:

A free copy of the collection–including an original story that will not appear when the collection goes to market; it is only available to Kickstarter backers.

Signed novels.

The chance to name characters in future novels after you or a loved one!

And, depending on whether we make any of the stretch goals, far, far more.

Click on over. Take a look and a listen. Ask questions, should you have any. I hope you find it intriguing enough to help me make Strange New Words a reality. And thank you, all of you, in advance, whether or not you choose to back the project; I wouldn’t be where I am without each and every one of you.

And if you folks could help me spread the word, and the link, that’d be very much appreciated, too.

So, I’ve got two books coming out in the semi-near future that I’ve discussed here and there, but never with much in the way of detail. So, here’s detail.

Lost Covenant, the third Widdershins Adventure, is scheduled to his shelves around December of this year. Pre-orders now available at all the old familiar places. And BTW? The cover rocks.

But this is only the first of what’s to come. Around spring of 2014 comes Hot Lead, Cold Iron, the first of my Mick Oberon novels. 1932, Prohibition-era gangland urban fantasy; fae noir, if you will. I’m exceptionally proud of this one, and I hope you guys find it equally compelling.

Pre-orders currently only at Amazon, but I’ll add all the others as they start to appear.

Oh, and this cover? Also rocks.

And for the record? Yet more major news to come in a couple of days. Stay tuned. Same mouse-time, same mouse-channel. (I just hideously dated myself, didn’t I?)